Believe in Heroes
by TheOrangeBarmy
Summary: In an AU, three turtles are the best of the best, protecting the city, protecting the innocent. Turtlecest, Violence, Raph/Don, Leo/Mikey.


**Believe in Heroes – Chapter One**

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT sadly  
Summary: In an AU, three turtles are the best of the best, protecting the city, protecting the innocent.  
Pairing: Raph/Don  
Rating: Whole Fic rating is R – this chapter is PG-13

Words: 1,405  
Warning: Vague implied Turtlecest. This fiction will include detailed Turtlecest and violence in later chapters.  
Note: Inspired by KameChuu comic 'That's Amore'

* * *

In the large cities of the elite they were known as the "Nightwatchers; princes of darkness who protected the precious wealth of the select few. Chosen as mere children and raised in the way of ninjitsu they were all that stood between the cities and the chaos of the outside world.

Leonardo slipped his katana sheaths over his shell settling them against the black fabric of his outfit until they were in the perfect position for him to draw seamlessly. His gaze settled on the other two turtles in the room as they lounged on the bed together.

"I can come with you." Raphael spoke.

"No you can't." Donatello the smaller replied quickly.

"It is just a scratch Donnie." Raph argued back.

"I don't call sixteen stitches a scratch!" Donnie retorted.

Raph's golden eyes turned to Leonardo seeking his brothers assistance as the standing turtle tied the blue mask about his eyes.

"I agree with Donnie," Leo said simply. "I will be fine Raph."

"Yeah, yeah Splinter junior." the large turtle muttered.

Leo couldn't help the smile at the reference to the rat who had become both father and Sensei to them. He appraised his only sibling carefully for any signs of a bubbling argument; but the emerald green body rested rather comfortably against the legs of his mate, stretching out his legs, one of which sported a large bandage.

"Anyway Raph, you look rather comfortable there." Leo teased lightly.

Raph snorted at that, but smiled as he turned his gaze on his smaller mate. Donatello's fingers lightly caressed the skin of his lover's cheek. Leo rolled his eyes before heading to the door.

"Leo!" Raph's voice stopped him.

"Yes Raph?" Leo asked turning to look over his shoulder.

"Be careful."

The forest green turtle nodded simply and disappeared out of the door. Making his way out of the large complex that housed the security forces the turtles were part of and he hopped onto a nearby transport. The powered vehicle quickly nipped through the quiet streets making for the exit Leonardo had designated. He encountered no other beings except those of the security forces, only a fool broke curfew. Stepping out of the transport he nodded simply to the guard stood at the exit.

"Pass!" the rabbit guard demanded simply.

Leo handed over his pass and waited while it was checked by the system.

"Please enter your code."

The rabbit pushed a hand held device toward the turtle who quickly enter his seven digit code. The rabbit handed back the pass as the door opened for the turtle.

"Come back safe." the rabbit finally smiled.

"I'll try Usagi." Leo smiled back before stepping out of the door.

The doors closed swiftly behind him and he moved the twenty feet to the next door, placing his hand in the hand scanner. The green light above the door pinged loudly and the last defence of the city slid open. Leo shivered once as the cooler night air hit his body before moving out into the shadows of the nearby buildings.

It was an entirely different world outside of the cities and one Leonardo only had vague recollections of. Like all inhabitants of the world he had been brought to the nearest city at the age of five, rounded up with his twin brother by the "collectors" and separated from his parents.

Forced to endure multiple tests for both his physical and mental abilities he had been deemed along with his brother to be suitable. Without even a chance to say goodbye to their family they had been the only children of that group separated and forced through the steel doors into their new life.

They were classed as the fortunate few; those deemed to have the necessary potential to be educated and trained in one of the many trades of the city. With their physical aptitude they had been selected as part of the security team and put under the specialist training of Master Splinter.

Those children who were deemed unsuitable were tossed back, quite literally to their parents to a life of poverty and violence. The Daimyo's of the elite cities made sure that the populace outside of the cities were kept in the dark ages.

Technology was forbidden outside the walls of the city, money almost impossible to come by; if you wished to eat and be clothed you stole what you could. Only if your child was deemed suitable would you be reward with monetary gains, so the people spawned rapidly.

Life expectancy for those outside of the city was barely twenty years old by which time a female was expected to have produced at least five to six off spring. Unlike those in the elite cities who rarely bore more than two in their much longer lives.

Violence was rife and an expected norm by those living in the slums which was why Leonardo found himself out of the streets outside of the city. Nightwatchers were known as the best of the best, allowed freedoms not granted to others.

They were the only residents of the whole city who were allowed to leave freely, their job to watch over the slums making sure no rebellions were taking place. The action they saw was generally territory fights, only once or twice having encountered the start of a rebellion. It had been reported and a task force dispatched; there had been no survivors of the rebellion.

Leo sighed deeply as he moved silently through the streets, keeping easily to the shadows. Master Splinter had taught them well and they had learnt quickly. He had educated them from a young age of the troubles they would face as they grew, the way of ninjitsu and bushido did not always fall in line with the views of the Daimyo.

He had taught them to tread carefully and pick their battles even more carefully within the first year of their training with him. When Donatello had joined them just a year later, the small group formed a family tight bond.

They had grown quickly, their skills shining out for all to see and they were the first minors to be permitted into the Nightwatcher team. The team was now down to only seven but the three turtles still insisted on patrolling outside of the city. Working throughout the slums Leo worked quietly, watching and judging the territory gangs keeping his distance from most. Fights over the small spaces in the slum city were not worth risking his life over.

It pained him though to watch these usually vibrant youngsters bringing their lives to such a premature end. Doomed at a tender age they had no hope of becoming any better than what was expected of them and very little except their deaths was expected of them.

Leonardo chose his battles with the innocent in mind, or those who he perceived to be innocent. It was hard to tell when he only had five seconds to evaluate the situation. But that Master Splinter constantly said was what made the three turtles such good ninja's, their instincts were normally unerringly accurate.

Crouching in the overhang of one of the taller crumbling buildings, he was given a good view over the tops of the other houses and into the network of streets. He gaze flicking constantly for any sign of disturbance that he should be aware of.

It was his sharp hearing though that picked up the first shouts of distress, followed by his eyes picking up the fluttering material as a single soul ran through the street. Watching the chasers Leo growled when his counting reached ten, whoever they were chasing was severely outnumbered. Swinging down he descended onto the house rooftops and took off after the chase.

Following closely he could make out little about the intended victim except that they were cloaked in a battered old grey cloak and they were fast. Dodging and weaving in and out of the streets they kept the group of dragons as Leo had identified the group as on the run for nearly fifteen minutes.

It was only when the lead dragon pulled out a weighted chain and sent it spinning around the fleeing victims legs did they bring the chase to a halt. It was also the time that Leonardo decided it was time to fight and without a second thought plunged down from the rooftops into the street below.

* * *

TBC


End file.
